


Sun x Moon

by killu



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gonkillu - Freeform, Gonkiru - Freeform, Killugon - Freeform, Kirugon - Freeform, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-28
Updated: 2015-05-30
Packaged: 2018-03-09 09:56:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3245384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/killu/pseuds/killu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Do you believe in fate, Killua?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Beginning x End

**Author's Note:**

> Basically the setting is the same but there are no hunters, etc.

There was an uneasiness that accompanied being awake before it was light out. Not quite even on the same level of an anxiety; almost just as if the very concept was unnatural. That was the worst thing about getting up for school, in Killua's opinion. Impending boredom and isolation aside, watching the dark streets and sleeping buildings pass by through the window of the car was always an unpleasant experience for some reason. Usually his older brother, Illumi, contributed to the feeling, with his uneasy presence and stiff, cold air. But Illumi was away on a supposed 'business trip' and so it was Milluki who was driving him today, and he wasn't being particularly chatty. Killua was glad. Both for the lack of conversation and the lack of his tenebrous brother. He didn't know when Illumi was planning to return, but he preferred later rather than sooner. 

"Get out," Milluki commanded even before he had slowed the car down to a reasonable speed, as if he expected Killua to just jump right out and take his chances. Killua rolled his eyes but didn't retort; he wasn't in the mood. He simply waited for the car to slow and then hopped out, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. The second he slammed the door shut Milluki was already taking off again, his car making a low purring noise as it sped off into the distance. Killua didn't watch him go. 

The sun was just rising over the school, covering everything in a pale yellow light, and Killua let a small sigh escape his lips as he allowed the little bit of relief the sun brought to wash over him. The soft illumination of daybreak had always been a comfort for him; on certain nights it was his only savior from nightmares or insomnia. But he didn't have time to stand here and dwell on such things.

His uneasiness was relieved, but his dread was not. Killua sighed heavily before making his way though the front entrance. 

The beginning of the day passed in an uneventful blur, as it does. Tedious lectures, children discussing meaningless topics, worksheets Killua completed robotically and without putting in much thought. All familiar things, but in this case familiarity was not of any comfort. He spent the majority of his morning gazing out the window at the browning trees in the courtyard. The leaves were just staring to fall, and he would watch them one by one as they drifted to the ground or got swept away by a sudden breeze, tumbling in circles with no direction. 

A girl behind him exclaimed how pretty the trees looked this time of year. He disagreed. They all looked the same to him; dull, unexceptional, boring. Just like whatever it was they were learning now. Just like whatever it was Killua would do when he got home instead of doing his homework. Just like the career he would have when he came of age. Everything was the same, just a vast blur of voices and monochrome colors that seemed to pass him by with no real meaning. It was such a waste. Killua knew that. And it used to bother him, but now he couldn't find the will to care. 

"Killua," a voice disrupted his thoughts, snapping him back to reality. 

At first he thought he had neglected to answer a question or something; the whole class was looking at him expectantly. Unusual, considering he was usually pretty good at remaining alert even while zoning out.

"You're checking out," the teacher said. She said it slowly, as if she were repeating herself. Killua blinked, and it only took him a second to catch up on what was going on. 

"Cool." He stood, shoving his binders into his bag and hoisting it back over his shoulder. Killua couldn't tell if it was the unwavering gaze of his classmates that was irking him or if he was just irritable in general, but he added sharply as he headed towards the door, "What? I'm not a freaking circus." 

He thought maybe the teacher might say something, but she remained as silent as her students. Killua closed the door to the classroom behind and headed straight for the main office, his mind reeling with possibilities for why he would be getting checked out at such a time. It wasn't like his family, with his mother having always been strict on keeping him in school as much as possible.

He heard Illumi's voice before he saw him. Coming from inside the office, a cool 'thank you'. Killua froze but only for a moment, enough for a brief inhale of breath and tightening of his fists. He felt his heart sink, wanting to kick himself for thinking it maybe could have been something good that was allowing him to leave school early. 

Whatever. He didn't care. At school, at home. It made no difference, not really. 

"Killu," Illumi greeted him when he walked in the door. Killua gave him a sort of nod in his general direction. 

"Aniki." 

He sure had returned quickly from his 'business trip'. But then, he did look tired, as if he'd been going without sleep for a long while now. Then again, Illumi's features tended to give off that impression regardless. 

Killua waited for his brother to walk past him and then began following him out of the office and subsequently out of the building entirely. The car was still running. Killua climbed in, awaiting some sort of explanation that Illumi didn't seem to be making any moves to give him. 

They were moving, heading back home Killua guessed from the direction they were going in. Illumi continued to be silent, which annoyed Killua a little but not enough to make him just come out and ask what was going on. Internally, there was a battle between the side of him that couldn't care less about whatever was going on and the side of him that was irritated at not knowing. Had it been Milluki, he probably would have pestered him persistently to get an answer but with Illumi things were different. It was better to not speak unless it was necessary to. 

The ride seemed quicker than this morning's. Before Killua knew it, they were in front of the slowly rising gate and then taking the path through the woods to their home. Killua peeked a glance over at his big brother, but Illumi gave away absolutely nothing as usual. He didn't even make any moves to stop Killua as he hurried out of the car and into the house. But it was there that he froze. 

Boxes. The hall was covered in boxes and suitcases, loads of them cluttered against the walls and overflowing with various items. In fact, the sheer amount made it appear as though the entire house's possessions had been condensed into one area. Killua felt himself go pale. 

"What's...going on?" He asked slowly, eyeing Milluki, who was crouched a few feet in front of him zipping a bag shut. 

"What do you think, moron?" Milluki snapped. "What do packed bags usually mean?" 

"Killu," Illumi's emotionless voice came from behind him, making him jump slightly. "I already packed up all your things." 

"Are we...going on a trip...?" Killua knew the answer already. He didn't know why he even asked; it was a complete waste of breath and didn't accomplish anything but making Milluki sigh heavily, but he did so anyway. 

"We're moving," Milluki said flatly. 

Moving. As in leaving the house...for good. 

Well, actually, there had been no signs of selling the house and of course, Killua doubted his parents would ever want to do so. So this must have meant they were simply going to live somewhere else for an undisclosed amount of time; most likely due to a job opportunity on someone's end. It wasn't that this kind of thing had happened before, but it did make sense all the same.

"How long were we planning this? No one even told me." He made sure the annoyance was clear in his voice.

"I've known for a few months, since Grandpa wanted me to do some research for something related. But it's not like I was going to tell you, obviously. Anyway, does it matter?" Milluki turned to him and squinted in annoyance, his eyes looking like slits on his pudgy face. "Just get your stuff ready and deal with it." 

"Are you upset?" Illumi asked, coming to stand in front of him. He peered down at him with the exact opposite gaze of Milluki, wide eyed and intense. 

This was weird. It didn't quite feel real; as if Killua were having some kind of dream. He didn't want to look like he was taking the news badly, but the truth was he was angry to not have been informed until such a short time before. Ultimately though, it didn't matter, did it? Milluki was right. What was he going to do? And what did he care if they left or not? It was a pain, yes, but it wasn't as though he had any real connections here. Whether it was here or there, it was all the same, right? 

"No," Killua said evenly. "I don't care. When are we leaving?" 

"Tonight," Illumi answered quietly. 

"And where exactly are we moving to?" 

Maybe he'd heard of the place. Maybe it wasn't too far, or maybe it was on the complete other side of the planet. Killua couldn't decide which would be preferable. 

"An island. Whale Island, to be exact."


	2. Enter x The x Sun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning : slight transphobia mention ?

The island itself was tiny. 

Killua was fairly certain his family owned triple the amount of land that made up the entire thing, and that was being generous. Of course, this meant they weren't as secluded on the island as in their previous house, where they had been nestled behind gates and miles and miles of thick, deep forest. This also meant that security here was comparably lax, as there was the absence of the servants and bodyguards that had lived with them previously. This was regrettable for Killua, who had often found them to be entertaining on days wen he suffered from near crippling boredom. Plus, they had been pretty fond of him, which had come in handy on more than one occasion. But it was fine. With this lack of personnel hanging around also came more freedom for him to get away with sneaking out...and that hope in itself was worth the trade.

As far as the actual house was concerned, it wasn't all that different from their old one besides being substantially smaller and a bit less elaborate as far as decorating. Killua's room was more or less the same. He had his video games, his books, and his toys. The same activities as before, and with no window and therefore no way to observe what happened outside, it was as if they had never even moved in the first place. 

It's not that Killua had wanted to expect otherwise, but the distinct twinge of disappointment that came along with deflated hope remained all the same. 

Apparently there was no sort of formal school around these parts, which meant there must have not been enough kids on the island to require one. So for the time being KIllua was put on standby until they figured out a proper plan, which meant he had plenty of time to unpack and get adjusted to the new house. He spent the majority of the first few days sleeping, which was unlike him but he tried to justify it as recovering from all the traveling it took to get here. In reality though, Killua was feeling a growing despair inside him at the thought of having absolutely nothing to do. It wasn't that he missed school (in fact, it was quite the opposite), but having his days continually be empty made time trickle by so slowly. He didn't want his family to decide it was better to start concentrating on training him in the family business, either. School had served its purpose as delay for him after all, if nothing else. 

By the fourth day it also became clear that none of the others were joining them...at least for now. It wasn't exactly a surprise since his father was rarely ever home anyway and he hadn't seen his mother since their big fight months earlier, but as long as Illumi was around she would trust that he was keeping Killua in line. And then there was Alluka, the only person Killua would actually want joining them in the first place. But he knew that would never happen. She was far away, attending a boarding school that their parents had shipped her off to when she turned nine and began wearing dresses and skirts instead of the masculine things society required of her. But Killua tried not to think about that; all it did was fill him with a burning anger that he couldn't possibly express while being cooped up in this windowless prison. 

On the fifth day everything seemed to quiet down, which was right about when he started to go completely stir crazy. Of course, he had never had any intention to 'stay mostly in his room until school began' as per the instructions he was given, but now he was positive that if he stayed in this house another second he was going to completely lose his mind. He hadn't seen Illumi since yesterday morning, so he felt fairly confident in assuming he was occupied with other things. Milluki had settled into his room for good and probably didn't plan on resurfacing for the next century, if it were up to him. Kalluto wasn't going to do anything about it one way or the other, so Killua decided now was the best chance he was going to get. 

He peeked out of his room, straining his ears for any sort of sound. As expected, there was nothing. 

He grabbed his skateboard and took great care in closing his door without a sound, then crept down the hallway towards the back entrance, keeping himself on the alert for any voices or movements. Luckily, this new house contained a much shorter distance from his room to the door, which would make doing this sort of thing much easier than when he had had to travel a substantial distance just to make it outside. And he had paid careful attention to the gate and grounds when they had first arrived, so he knew exactly which spot he climb to escape. 

He bit his lip as the door made a slight squeak, but after a pause he concluded that it hadn't roused any suspicions. He only opened it the minimal amount it took for him to fit his body through, and then closed it behind him without a single noise. 

Outside, the sun hit him like a slap to the face. The warmth of it made wrapped around him, making his skin tingle as his eyes struggled to adjust. After blinking a few more times, he inhaled sharply, finally getting a decent look at his surroundings. 

Everything around him was green, and not at all like the murky colors of the woods he was used to. This landscape had a certain vibrancy to it like Killua had never seen before. In the distance there was the sound of the ocean hitting the shore and seagulls cawing to each other. A small smile played on his lips as he allowed himself a brief rush of excitement, jogging towards the gate and scaling it with ease. He hit the ground lightly and tossed his skateboard down next to him, sticking his hands in his pockets and grinning confidently. 

"That was so easy that I'm almost disappointed," he murmured to himself, hopping up on his skateboard and pushing off against the dirt. 

With the thick forest terrain of their old home, Killua barely got any opportunities to ride so freely. But here, the paths were smooth and just curvy enough so that speed wasn't an issue. Killua picked up with pace, taking turns at sharp angles and dodging rocks and stones with small movements of his body. The wind ran its light fingers through Killua's hair and he closed his eyes for a moment or two, taking a deep breath and inhaling the smell of salt and earth. 

The scenery itself was incredible; ponds and volcanoes and farms and all sorts of neat looking areas that Killua made mental notes of to return to and explore. He wondered to himself idly if he would be able to start sneaking out more often; spending his days wandering around in all the lush green instead of trapped in the confines of his bedroom. But he didn't want to get to overly excited. Especially not before he had made it back home safely. 

Although he had been keeping track of things he passed for future reference, Killua realized after he had been out for quite a while that he had no idea where he was. After brief search of the surrounding areas for something familiar, he decided it was best to head back down the path he had come, remembering a quick glimpse of a sort of harbor that had caught his eye as he passed it not too long ago. It appeared as though the sun was at its peak for the day, so Killua assumed it was around one or two o'clock. He figured he could make it to the harbor in a half an hour or so...if he didn't mess around. And at this point he couldn't really afford to if he wanted to get back relatively early...just in case his absence was noticed. 

He was in the middle of the path, a slight breeze ruffling his hair as he shifted his body to compensate for an upcoming turn, when quite suddenly and passionately a voice rang out around him: 

"Ya-HOO! I did it!" 

Killua slowed but kept moving, trying to pinpoint where exactly the sound had derived from. It sounded like a kid, probably a boy. 

"You're mine now!!" Whoever it was cried out in delight. Killua had slowed completely to a stop at this point, gazing off in the direction of the voice. It seemed to be coming from his right, but he could see next to nothing through the trees. 

Killua pondered his situation for a moment. He was a bit curious, and the feeling was only growing as the person continued to holler in excitement. What was going on..? They sounded like they were alone, and they could possibly point him in the right direction without him even having to go to the harbor...

But on the other hand, Killua wasn't really good with kids his age. He never had been; school was proof enough of that. It might be easier to just find some fisherman who could give him directions. Yes...that was the best course of action. 

And yet, there was a slight hesitation. He turned, his foot ready to push off the ground and drive him forward. He took in a breath, his fingers twitching slightly in his pockets. He almost kept moving. 

Almost. 

He flipped his skateboard up into his grasp in one fluid movement and took off through the trees towards the sound, making sure to keep very quiet. His heart was speeding up for some reason, as if the very thought of what awaited him through the foliage was more excitement than he had had in years. He ducked under leaves and dodged branches until at last, he arrived in a sort of opening through the trees. 

It took him a moment to spot the boy. Killua was scanning the ground, keeping hidden by crouching carefully behind a bush. It was only when he heard laughter that Killua was able to locate him, standing atop one of the trees twisting out of the water like a giant hand reaching towards the sky. He was jumping up and down, waving around what appeared to be a rather large and colorful looking fish in one hand and a fishing rod in the other. 

From this distance that was all Killua could make out but even so he couldn't seem to take his eyes away from the scene, frozen in place without any thoughts of what his next move should be. The boy was definitely around his age, judging by stature. And apparently he was pretty pleased about catching the fish, from what Killua could gather. 

It wasn't until the boy began climbing down the tree at an uncanny speed that Killua came back to his senses. He was leaving, probably to go take the fish to some unknown destination. What to do..? Killua could follow him...but that was taxing on time. But if he was going to show himself, now was the moment to do so. 

Killua peeked back over the bush and nearly cried out in surprise. The boy was running--directly towards him. There was no way for him to dodge without being seen, and besides, at the speed this kid was moving, Killua wasn't even sure it would be possible to do so anyway. He barely had time to put up his forearms as a shield before he was suddenly hit with something that made an 'ahhh!' noise, and together the two of them began tumbling down the hill. 

The ride down the hill was a bumpy mess of tangled limbs and leaves being flung into the air. When they finally came to a stop, Killua was immediately on his feet, putting some distance between he and the boy, who was sitting up and looking dazed. Now that he was closer, Killua was able to get a good look at him. He had dark, spiky hair that looked to Killua like it could probably impale someone. He wore shorts as green as the forest surrounding them and a white tank top that stuck to his tan skin slightly with sweat. As Killua studied him, the boy stared up at him with wide eyes.

Eyes...they were large and round, a rich amber color surrounded by a deep brown that reminded Killua of the earth but burned with the intensity of fire. The very sun itself seemed to be reflected in those eyes...Killua had never quite seen anything like it. But, much like the sun, their gaze was too intense; he looked away, feeling his cheeks heat slightly and frowning in annoyance at himself. 

"Hi!" The boy said finally, his confused look being replaced with a wide grin. "I've never seen you before..." 

Killua didn't particularly feel the need to explain his situation to a stranger, much less one who had just trampled over him. "I heard yelling," was all he offered. He picked up his skateboard and stuck his hands in his pockets as the boy stood and brushed himself off. 

"Heh, sorry! I was getting carried away because I finally caught it," As if he had just suddenly remembered, a new smile played at his lips as he picked up the dead fish and held it up to his face in amazement. 

"...What is that?" Killua asked, raising one eyebrow. 

"This fish I've been hunting for weeks. I never even knew what it looked like until now, since I only ever saw a flash of color when it was swimming. It took me a whole day to catch it...But I promised Mito-san I wasn't coming home until I did," the boy rattled off. 

Killua had no idea what this kid was going on about. Mito-san...? And was he saying he had been sitting on that tree for twenty-four hours straight? To catch that??

All the same...there was something Killua liked about the way he spoke. So...full of life. As if every breath leaving him was so filled with wonder. 

"How old are you?" Killua asked abruptly, squinting at him. 

"I'm twelve."

"Hmm," Killua hummed, widening his eyes a bit. "So we are the same age then..." 

It was best to avoid any mention of his last name just in case, but he didn't see any reason why he couldn't give away his first. He sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm Killua." 

"I'm Gon. Gon Freecss!" 

Gon. A simple name for a simple boy, right? But all the same, Killua liked it.

"Ne," Gon said suddenly, pointing at the fish in his hand. "I'm gonna take this to the harbor. I'll race you there, 'kay?" 

"Wha...?" Killua was about to protest but the boy had already taken off past him before he had a chance to utter a single sound.

"Whoever wins gets all the money when we sell it!" He shouted over his shoulder. 

This guy...was crazy! But then, Killua's heart picked up at the thought of a race. He wouldn't let this kid beat him. He jumped on his skateboard and sped after him, being careful to avoid rocks and plants in the ground. Luckily Gon was sticking mostly to the path, and Killua was able to catch up to him in no time. 

"Even if I cheat?" Killua smirked as Gon looked at him in awe. 

"Well, I never said you couldn't use that," he laughed, surprising Killua. He made a sharp turn into the trees, but Killua only required a second to react, flipping his skateboard up into his grasp and then following after him on foot. 

They were neck to neck, each fighting to get an inch ahead of the other the entire time. Gon had incredible reflexes; not only was he fast and agile but he had insane skills for climbing and jumping like Killua had never seen. But Killua wasn't lacking in these departments either, having always had quick and fluid movements and decent speed. The physical training he had undergone thanks to his family was more than enough to prepare him for something such as this, so while keeping up with him was a challenge it definitely wasn't impossible. 

When the docks were in sight they exchanged a glance, and Killua felt himself smile back at Gon without even meaning to. He strained to put every ounce of power he had into the final stretch, lunging forward to grasp at the unspoken finish line: the statue with the words 'WHALE ISLAND' carved into its front. 

Yes! He did it; that was a clear win! 

"Yay! I win!" Gon exclaimed, pumping his fists in the air. 

Killua's head snapped around to look at him. "No way? That was clearly my win." 

"But I touched it before you!" 

"Tch, dream on!"

They both searched around for some sort of proof, and found it in the form of a man who had been loading fish out of a net. Apparently he had been watching them because there was a smile on his face.

"Excuse me!" Gon called over to him. "Who made it first?" 

"I believe it was a tie," the man called back, chuckling slightly. 

"Hmph," Killua managed as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the statue to catch his breath. "Old man's eyes must be wonky." 

But Gon wasn't paying attention to him. He had his hand on his chin, as if in deep thought. Killua watched him carefully as he furrowed his brow. "So, in that case...how about we cut the fish in half and then-" 

"In that case wouldn't we just split the money?" Killua asked flatly. He had no interest in it anyway, but he would have thought that conclusion was obvious. 

Gon snapped his fingers and grinned widely. "That's right!"

Killua was once again completely taken aback. Sure, he had been the one to suggest such a thing, but... He couldn't believe it. This kid had just met him ten minutes ago and because they tied in some stupid race, he was going to give him half of the money he was getting for the fish he had spent all day trying to catch? Killua felt his head beginning to hurt just trying to understand the logic behind that. 

"But first, let's make a bet," Gon offered, raising his eyebrows. "on how much we're gonna get." 

And just then, despite the situation, despite how strange this boy in front of him was, Killua found himself smiling slightly. Because he was...having fun. And to him, that was a very precious thing indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm kind of nervous about this one because it's my first time writing them...hopefully I did okay. Any feedback? :3


	3. New x Friendship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I only planned out the later chapters so I'm a little lost...heh. I kind of forgot how they interacted in the beginning so I hope I'm doing alright.  
> Warning : slight child abuse mention.

"Ne, Killua," Gon had said, just as Killua was getting ready to go home. The sun was setting behind the trees, casting a golden light across the whole island. The beauty of such a sight was even enough to dispel any anxieties Killua had about having been out much later than originally planned. 

"We should play again tomorrow." 

When Killua turned to look at him, he was looking back with hopeful eyes. They were soaked in a golden light as well now, a part of the island just like the trees. 

"Yeah, if I'm not busy then I guess," Killua had responded casually, but internally he was pleased. It felt...nice to know that Gon had also enjoyed their time together. It was a sort of mutual understanding that Killua had never had before.

"Okay! Meet me by the same tree if you can. I'll be there." 

Killua repeated the words under his breath now, as he stood in the sun, gazing up at the twisted tree that at the moment remained empty. 

He sighed, ruffling his hair with his free hand. Gon had said he would be here, and yet here he was...alone. He had even arrived a little later in the day to avoid such a situation. 

Had something come up? He could always wait here to see if Gon would show up later, but risking his neck to sit around alone didn't seem to be worth it. He was lucky yesterday in having returned with no complications, but his sneaking out itself was a time bomb and he had no idea how much time he had left. 

He shrugged his shoulders, as if doing so would erase the sinking feeling of disappointment that was weighing him down suddenly. It didn't matter. He turned and started back the way he had come. 

"Killua!" A familiar voice rang out from somewhere near by. Killua spun around, scanning the area for Gon, but he saw nothing. 

"I'm up here!" Gon called and it was then that Killua spotted him, straddling one of the branches protruding out of a tree, waving and beaming down at Killua. Jeez, he's like a damn monkey, Killua thought to himself, but secretly he felt a wave of relief. 

In one hand Gon was holding the fishing rod from the previous day, and without warning he swung it towards an adjacent tree. Killua watched in awe at the precision of the stroke as the hook attached perfectly to an apple dangling from the tree. It was pulled from its place before gliding carefully back to Gon, who caught it with his other hand. 

"Awesome!" Killua exclaimed, feeling a smile spread across his face. "Hey, you have to let me try that!" 

Gon tossed him the apple which he caught with ease. "Only if you let me try out your skateboard!" 

"Deal," Killua agreed, setting his skateboard down against the tree before beginning to climb it carefully. Even with the apple occupying one hand, he was able to make it to the branch Gon was perched on in no time. He settled in next to the other boy, letting his back rest against the trunk to support himself. Gon handed him the fishing pole and he squinted at the apple tree, assessing where exactly he wanted to target. Gon remained quiet, watching him. 

An idea struck him suddenly and he launched the hook at the tree with one quick flick of his wrist. It landed on one of the lower hanging branches, attaching itself to the bark. 

"Yes!" Killua exclaimed triumphantly. 

Gon giggled from beside him. "You missed, Killua..." 

"Just watch," Killua said mischievously, pulling the rod back in a repetitive motion. A half a dozen apples dropped from the branch, landing on the ground with muffled thumps. Killua smiled proudly as Gon made a noise of awe from his side. 

"You're amazing, Killua!" Gon exclaimed when Killua handed the fishing rod back to him. "I didn't even think of that, heh." 

Killua felt his face heat at the compliment and he panicked for a second, turning away to mumble, "Yeah, well, it was nothing." He tried to make it look as though he was focusing on the apple in his hands, turning it a few times before bringing in up to his face and taking a bite. "Mm..." 

He had had an apple before, of course, but even so the crisp sweetness surprised him. After a few more bites he handed it to Gon, who began nibbling on it with a satisfied expression. 

"So, Gon," Killua began, putting his hands behind his head and leaning back against the trunk of the tree. "What did you spend your money on? Candy? Toys?" 

Gon had been impressed with the amount of money they had received from the fish, but to Killua it was mere chump change. Of course, he had ended up with a lesser amount than Gon after losing the bet, but still, Gon's sum hadn't been all that much greater. 

"Nothing...yet," Gon responded, holding the apple out to Killua as he looked at something off in the distance. "I'm saving my money." 

"Saving? For what?" He asked, taking it from his hand.

"...To go find my dad."

Killua munched on the apple for a few moments, considering this. "What's he doing?" 

Gon continued to look off into the distance, a small smile turning up his lips. His legs were swinging back and forth at a slow pace. "I don't know. I don't know anything about him, really."

Killua almost choked on a mouthful of apple. "Eh?" 

"He left when I was really little," Gon explained sheepishly. "It's hard getting any answers out of Mito-san...but I want to know. I want to know what he's doing now; what he chose over me. That's why I'm going to find him." 

The words seemed sad to Killua, at least, the concept behind them. But Gon didn't say them as such. His eyes were shining bright and there was still a hint of a smile on his lips. He wasn't sad about it at all...no, he was...excited. 

Killua found himself staring, but Gon didn't seem to notice. Finally, he merely shook his head, chuckling lightly. Gon turned to look at him in surprise. 

"Did I say something funny?" He asked, putting his hand up to his mouth in question. 

"No, no," Killua laughed. "You're just...interesting, is all. Kind of weird in my opinion." 

Gon laughed, too. Killua handed the apple back to him, watching his legs and beginning to move his at the same pace.

"What about you, Killua?" Gon asked. "What's your family like?" 

Killua felt his body tense up but he hoped Gon didn't notice. He kept his eyes downcast as he answered. "Well...for now I just live with my three brothers..." 

"Really? Where are your parents?" 

"They stayed behind on business, I guess. My old man is never really home anyway so it doesn't matter. And my mom...well, I don't want to see her anyway." 

"You don't get along with your mom?" 

"You could say that..." Killua peeked over at Gon. He wasn't used to talking about his family, or talking about anything personal in general, really. He wondered if Gon thought him strange, but the boy's face was neutral. If anything, he seemed merely curious. 

"My family," Killua continued, hesitating slightly. "...they have really high expectations for me. They want me to take over the family business when the time comes." 

"What's the business?" 

"...underground stuff." He looked over at Gon, assessing his reaction. Instead of the anticipated disgust or fear, he looked merely surprised. 

"Both your parents?" 

Killua burst out laughing. He couldn't help it; the way Gon asked was so earnest. 

"What?" Gon asked, confused. 

"You believe me? Sometimes I'd tell people at school that when they bothered me, but...most of them either got scared or called me a liar." 

"I believe you," Gon said earnestly. Killua bit back a smile, but it faded quickly as he thought back to his family. 

"Yeah. So they both expect me to start training in the field and take over everything for them. And I..." Killua sighed, looking out over the trees. "I hate it. They have my whole life planned out for me...who would want to live that way? And it's not even something I'm interested in. So lame." 

Gon was quiet. It felt so good to finally get this off his chest; these frustrations and secrets that he had been holding for his entire life. And Gon was listening, not running away. Someone was finally listening. He couldn't stop himself even if he tried. 

"So I got into a fight with my mom recently, right? I told her 'I don't want anything to do with the stupid family business'...anyway, it got pretty bad. I ended up pushing her down the stairs. So I guess she's staying away for a while," Killua spoke the words very casually but even so he paused, wondering if he had said too much.

"That's terrible," Gon said quietly after a moment, and Killua felt his heart sink. He shouldn't have mentioned the part about hurting his mother, especially since Gon couldn't have known that she lunged at him first. He was defending himself...for once. But he felt himself recoiling, not wanting to explain. Instead he laughed it off, as always.

"Yeah, I guess I'm a pretty bad kid but with parents like mine it's no wonder, right?" 

"Not that," Gon said, turning to look Killua in the eyes. He looked serious, and Killua felt himself freeze. "I mean about how they're forcing you to live how they want...it's terrible. It's not their life, it's yours." 

Yes. 

Yes, Killua wanted to cry out in relief. Someone had said it...what he had been thinking for so long. And he meant it; there was no doubt in his eyes. Gon really did. 

There were no words that could ever describe how much he had needed that...how relieved those words made him feel. But none of that mattered. He responded merely with a "yeah", looking away.

A breeze blew by, ruffling Killua's hair. He watched his feet as they swayed back and forth above the apples littering the ground. 

"Killua," Gon said after a moment, and Killua snuck a peek at him. 

"Yeah?" 

"Let's be friends." 

Killua's feet stopped moving abruptly. Gon was looking at him with this dopey grin. 

"Yeah..." Killua agreed, and after the initial surprise he felt himself smile back at Gon. A genuine smile, the kind that made your face ache in the best way possible.

A friend, huh? Now that...that was something new.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is appreciated as always. :3


	4. First x Time

When Killua awoke that morning, a smile spread across his face. 

He quickly glanced over at his alarm clock, biting his lip when he realized just how much earlier he had woken up than planned. For the past month he had been getting up rather early anyway, and it was for the best since Gon was quite the early riser himself--to the point that no matter how early Killua departed to meet him at the 'twisted tree' (so named by Gon), Gon was always already there, waving down at him with that dopey grin that always occupied his face. 

But today...today was different. 

It made Killua tingle with excitement just thinking about it, and he replayed the conversation from the previous day in his mind for the thousandth time. 

Gon had asked him over to his house. And not only that--but to spend the night. 

Killua figured in the grand scale of things this really wasn't that big a deal; he was sure most kids his age had already had dozens of sleepovers with various people. But for him, it was a first, something he never even thought he would be able to do at all. The worst, most dreaded part of his day every day was departing for home and saying goodbye to his friend, and to think that tonight he wouldn't have to do that... It was an exciting notion, to say the least. 

Of course, there was only a very fine line between excitement and anxiety. Killua had hesitated when Gon first asked him the question, his thoughts shifting to his family. It was true that thus far there had been no consequences for his daily excursions, fortunately for him. It seemed Illumi was deep in whatever business he was attending to, so he was barely around at all. Kalluto usually accompanied him, leaving only he and Milluki in the house and of course Milluki didn't leave his room. This new location provided him with so much more freedom now that it was as easy as waltzing out the door, and it had gotten to a point where Killua didn't even bother to 'sneak' out at all. Regardless though, it was still a dangerous game he was playing and after all, leaving for the day and staying all through the night were two different things. 

But Killua knew for a fact that no one checked on him while he slept; he was a very light sleeper and the moment someone opened his door he would be wide awake. Still he tried to remain objective and decide the safest course of action, but the truth was he was biased and he knew it. He...wanted to go. He wanted to go to Gon's house more than anything. And he couldn't even remember the last time he had wanted anything, much less at this caliber. 

And so in the end as he knew he would, he agreed. 

He tried to lay still in bed for a while longer, if for nothing else just to kill time. In the interest of not pushing his luck too far, he didn't want to leave for Gon's until late afternoon that way he would only be gone for the evening and night. But eventually he gave up on lying around, his nerves eating at him. He spent the majority of the morning showering and putting a bag together with his things, unpacking and repacking several times until it seemed right. He didn't bother to bring pajamas but he did include a change of clothes and decided to dress in his usual tank top and shorts. He had learned by now that that was the only acceptable attire for playing around the island all day, and he figured he could use the spare clothes for if he got dirty or sweaty. He packed some money and his toothbrush, as well as a few more toys and then he sat on the edge of his bed, waiting. 

He glanced at the clock next to his bed, for the hundredth time in the last hour. It was mid afternoon now; he probably still had a few hours to kill before it would be acceptable to leave. He laid back on his bed with a sigh, putting his hands behind his head and staring up at the ceiling. 

What had he even spent his days doing before he met Gon? How had he managed to entertain himself for so long without him? Nothing seemed appealing anymore, not video games nor reading nor playing with toys. All of it reeked of boredom to the extent that staring up at the ceiling dreaming about what may happen later in the day seemed like the better option.

Killua's thoughts lingered on Gon. What was he doing now? Fishing? Roaming the forests by himself? It made Killua smile to think about it, his chest tingling with a sort of warm feeling. He rolled over on his side, thinking about how curious it was to have someone whom just the very thought of could make him grin. 

He never knew...and how could he? 

With all those years of being stuck in the house every hour of every day, the only people to talk to being his family and, if he was lucky, the butlers. All that time spent in crippling isolation, chained to his own solitude. He never knew what it was like to have a friend...someone whom he looked forward to seeing every day. The time they spent together this last month had been the best time of Killua's life; he had smiled and laughed more than all the previous years combined... 

And Gon was to thank for all of it.

It was around 5:00 when he couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed his skateboard and his bag and headed out, over the gate, and towards their usual meeting point. 

Today for once, Gon was on ground level when Killua emerged through the brush. He came rushing over to him, a huge smile on his face. "Killua!" 

"Yo," Killua greeted him, feeling the usual smile tug at his lips upon hearing the excitement in Gon's voice as he said his name. 

"Are you ready to go?" Gon asked excitedly, jogging in place in front of Killua. It seemed like he was even more bursting with energy than usual today, and Killua found it pretty endearing. Not that that was anything unusual. 

"Sure," he laughed. 

Gon had briefly pointed out his home from a distance back when they had first met, but Killua had never seen it up close. It wasn't far from their meeting point and since the two of them turned the journey there into an intense game of tag, it seemed as though it took no time at all to arrive. Killua's nerves had been eased the minute he laid eyes on Gon, but as he approached the house a twinge of anxiety resurfaced with a vengeance. He felt his hands tightening into fists in his pockets. 

"We're here, Killua!" Gon turned to look at him excitedly, and Killua managed to smile back somehow despite his growing unease. The house sat alone on a cliff overlooking the ocean--not a big house, especially compared to Killua's own, but all the same something about it was very inviting. The sun was setting and the sky was turning magnificent shades of orange and pink; Killua marveled as he always did at the warm light it cast on the space around him. Usually the color signified the end of the day for him but today it was just the beginning, and that was to be a comforting thought. But before he could fully let the notion ease him into a more relaxed state of mind, he spotted a figure outside near the laundry close lines and he watched as Gon sped up, rushing towards it. 

"Mito-san!" Gon called, laughing as he ran up to her with his arms outstretched. 

And upon seeing her for the first time, a sickening doubt he had thought he banished earlier came back to him, and the voice in the back of his mind taunted him nastily. What would Mito-san think when she saw him? Killua wasn't...he wasn't a good kid like Gon was. He was a bad kid, a problem child. Surely anyone would be upset to see the likes of him coming home with their son, and how could Killua blame them? Suddenly feeling like a stray cat who had hopelessly followed someone home, he came to a complete stop a few yards away.

When they were alone it was fine for Killua to indulge in the pleasure of Gon's company, but when it came to being around others...he was reminded that he didn't deserve it. Killua stood frozen, trying to fight off the crippling self doubt that was now eating away at every part of him. 

Mito-san turned at the sound of Gon's voice, a soft sort of smile spreading across her face at the sight of him. Killua watched the scene very intently, his hands tightly balled up in his pockets, his insides twisting uncontrollably. Gon flung his arms around her and she laughed lightly. Killua felt a strange sort of desire to also hug her; not in a direct sense but just to be able to feel the same warmth Gon felt in that moment. A mother's love was a foreign concept to him, but it would be a lie to say it was one he never craved. 

Mito-san noticed him then and made a face of surprise. Killua felt himself immediately look down, biting his lip so hard he thought it may bleed. Just as he was trying to decide what to do next, Gon's voice rang out around them announcing proudly,

"Mito-san, this is my best friend, Killua!" 

Best friend?! Killua nearly choked on his own spit. He felt his cheeks heat and his heart speed up a little, hoping neither of them noticed. 

"Ah, Killua," Mito-san said, and when Killua peeked up at her she wasn't frowning or scowling, but instead smiling brightly. "I've heard so much about you. It's all Gon ever talks about, really." 

Gon stuck his tongue out sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. 

Killua felt another round of blush creeping over his cheeks but before he could worry about hiding it there was a thump! as Mito-san smacked Gon in the back of the head abruptly. 

"Ow!" 

"Honestly though, Gon," Mito-san said, her voice completely changed. Killua stared at her, his mouth hanging open. "I've suggested a million times that you have him over and you choose now to do so without even telling me first? I don't even have ingredients to make a decent meal!" 

"Sorry, sorry," Gon said with a nervous chuckle. 

"Uh, it's really okay I don't need anything special..." Killua offered quietly, but Mito-san merely put her hands on her hips and sighed. 

"Jeez, you two. I'll come up with something." She made her way into the house, muttering the whole way. When she disappeared, Gon and Killua exchanged a glance. It only last a second before they both started giggling. 

"Is she always like that?" Killua asked in a low voice. 

"Yeah," Gon laughed. He grabbed Killua's hand gently and pulled him towards the door. "Come on! I'll show you my room!" 

It was a small gesture, nothing out of the ordinary, but at the touch of Gon's hand against his Killua felt his body relax. Mito-san hadn't given him any disgusted looks after all... And maybe, just maybe...that meant it was okay. For them to be together like this, at least at this moment. He allowed himself a small smile.

They snuck in past the foyer and up the stairs, trying to muffle their giggles to remain undetected as Mito-san banged pots around in the kitchen. 

Gon led him into a medium sized room with two large windows that were open, the breeze from outside ruffling the curtains. The furniture was fairly basic; a queen sized bed messily made and a bookcase stuffed with books. There was a TV in one corner and a laptop resting on the desk beside the bookcase. Killua set his things down on the edge of the bed and gazed around the room, taking in every detail. He made his way over to the window, looking out over the forests that were by now almost completely cloaked in darkness. 

It was very...Gon. Somehow. Exactly what he would have expected if asked to describe his room before seeing it. He smiled slightly to himself yet again. 

"Hey Killua, can you close that window for me?" Gon asked, closing the one to Killua's right. 

"Sure." 

"Mito-san says I can't sleep with them open, heh." 

"Mann, I'm jealous," Killua said dreamily, breathing in the salty air one last time before closing the window and locking it. "It must be nice to be able to see outside from your room." 

"You don't have windows in your room?" Gon asked, puzzled. 

"Nope." He didn't offer any further explanation. Gon didn't know a lot about his family, or at least not about the extremes they went to, and he wanted to keep it that way. If Gon found out...he wasn't sure if his opinion of Killua would change, and that was something he could not risk. 

Killua moved over to the bookcase, scanning over the titles. Most of them were foreign to him, which only made it all the more interesting. A stack of plastic cases caught his eye and he pointed to it, turning to Gon. "Can I look at this?" 

"You don't have to ask, Killua," Gon laughed. "You can look at all my stuff, you know." 

Killua scoffed but picked up the case and turned it over, recognizing the cover immediately. "No way!" Killua exclaimed. "I've been wanting to play this game forever!" 

Gon came to stand next to him, shoulder to shoulder. "You know what that is?" 

"Of course. You haven't played it yet?" 

"Uh," Gon rubbed the back of his neck. "Actually it was a gift from the lady who runs the toy store. I helped her out one day and she gave it to me, but I didn't really know what it was, hehe." 

"Hah? You've never played video games before?" Killua felt like it should have come up before but they spent so much time exploring that they never even had time for other hobbies. 

"Not really," Gon admitted sheepishly. 

"That's okay, I'll teach you how," Killua offered, flipping the game over to read the back. "Tomorrow we can go to that toy store and get a console, okay?" 

"Yeah!" 

Killua slipped the case back on to the shelf and plopped down on the bed, reclining to lie on his back. Gon took a seat, grinning down at him. 

"What?" Killua asked suspiciously. 

"Nothing...I'm just...really happy you're here, Killua!" 

"Wh-what?!" Killua sputtered, looking away as he felt the tips of his ears and cheeks heat up. This kid had no shame, honestly!

"It's just...I get pretty lonely at night," Gon said quietly, plopping down to lie on his back next to Killua. "And lately I've been thinking about you being here with me so...I'm just glad is all." He turned to beam at him again, and Killua felt as though his insides were dancing around. 

"Y-yeah," Killua answered. Me too, he wanted to say desperately, but somehow...he just couldn't. 

Me too, Gon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I know this chapter is a little mehhh. I've been busy so I didn't do much editing! Thank you so much to everyone who left comments or kudos, etc! I really, really appreciate it. :D


	5. Stars x of x Fate

"Do you believe in fate, Killua?" 

When the words reached his ears, Killua's eyes fluttered open. 

He had been allowing his senses to run wild--the feel of grass between his lithe fingers, the cool crisp air lingering on his skin, the otherwise calm silence filled with the sounds of creatures rustling about in the darkness. And Gon's presence...a strong presence. One that made Killua feel comfortable enough to close his eyes and breathe in deeply, absorbing all of into him and etching every detail into his mind. One that was so familiar that together the two of them could share moments not filled with words without any sort of discomfort or fear. When cat-like eyes opened, they were met with brilliant shades of greens and blues dotted with sparkling gems that seemed to smile down at them both. Killua couldn't decide what was more beautiful: the night sky itself or the fact that tonight they had it all to themselves. 

Killua turned away to face Gon, who was looking at him expectantly. "I've never really thought about it, I guess. Do you?" 

"I think so," Gon answered, turning his gaze back to the sky. 

"Mm," Killua hummed, pondering the idea more deeply. "I'm not sure I like the sound of that. Thinking about your path already being laid out for you and stuff..." 

Thoughts of his family and the future they had planned out for him invaded his mind. If fate really did exist...maybe he was 'destined' to turn into exactly what they wanted after all. 

"But you can choose your own fate," Gon said, suddenly serious. His eyes remained fixated on the stars and Killua watched him as he spoke--the glow of his tan skin in the starlight, the way his mouth moved with every utterance of sound, the way his shirt hung slightly off one shoulder. Killua had always fancied himself someone who often focused on the smallest of details, but when it came to Gon that seemed to be especially evident. He sometimes found himself mesmerized by the sight of his best friend doing just the simplest of things: telling a story, casting his fishing rod, laughing so hard he doubled over. Killua was strangely fascinated with all of it, and this was one of those times he just couldn't seem to peel his eyes away. 

"I just think certain events happen for a reason," Gon continued, and a small smile graced his lips. "And then you have to decide what to do about them." 

Killua struggled to think of some example, some meaningful event that had occurred in his life. Moving to the island...no, that first day hearing Gon's voice in the distance, yelling over the trees about that ridiculous fish he had caught. That slight hesitation, and then...

"Killua," Gon said suddenly with a musical laugh, releasing Killua from his thoughts. He was looking straight into his eyes now; the intensity of the gaze making Killua squirm slightly. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Killua turned away quickly, hoping the darkness was enough to conceal the heat he felt creeping into his cheeks. "I was just thinking about what you were saying is all." 

"About your family?" He said it quietly. 

"When you first mentioned fate that's what I thought of, yeah," Killua ruffled his hair, sighing. He could feel Gon's eyes on him as he reclined back on his hands, his own eyes tracing over the stars slowly.

"You know...I'm kind of jealous of you, Gon. In a way." 

"Jealous?" 

"You have plans for your future that are all your own, you know? You have something you really want to do..." Killua trailed off, trying to find the words to express his thoughts properly. "I don't have anything like that, I guess. There's nothing I want to do really." 

Gon was quiet. Killua didn't look at him as he continued, "There are only things I don't want to do. Lots of them. I don't want to be in that house anymore. I don't want to be trapped. I don't want to train and end up in my father's position some day. I don't want that at all..." 

He stopped, wondering if he had said too much. Growing up in an environment where stating your feelings was forbidden--met with consequences, even--had conditioned him to never talk about such things. Even now in the presence of someone he trusted more that anyone, he still felt guilty for mentioning it at all. He lost his momentum, closing his mouth and looking down at his hands.

There was a small moment of silence. A breeze running its fingers through his hair.

"Hey, Killua?" 

"Yeah?" 

"I love being with you more than anything." 

Killua whipped his head around to look at Gon, alarmed. A few seconds went by before he could even sputter out a response. "What? The heck kind of thing is that to say!"

"Do you like being with me?" Gon pressed on, not phased in the least by Killua's reaction. He was smiling softly, but it was clear there was no joking intent. He was being completely serious. 

Killua felt his stomach do a strange sort of flip. He swallowed hard, keeping his face turned away from Gon's view. "Yeah, I guess." 

"We should stay together then. Always. You can come with me and help me look for my dad!" 

Killua froze.

His eyes widened. He felt strange shivers traveling lightly up and down his spine, and he swallowed again, looking for the right words. 

"What...are you saying?" 

No sooner had the words tumbled from his lips then he suddenly felt Gon shift closer and looked up only to be met with the boy's face mere inches away, amber eyes burning into his own. Killua was so startled by the sudden increase in proximity that he couldn't manage to utter a single sound before Gon, without any sort of warning, was leaning in. It was quick at first but he slowed himself midway, wrapping his arms gently around Killua's torso and pulling him in. 

Killua made a small noise of surprise, his eyes opening wide and his mouth hanging agape. Suddenly everything was Gon--his scent, his warmth--it was all Killua could think about. His chest against Killua's, his chin resting on Killua's shoulder, his embrace tight but not demanding. He had never been touched like this before; never experienced anything so soft...and kind. His body was very tense, not accustomed to such a gesture, but it wasn't bad. In fact, it was...wonderful. 

Gon pulled away, keeping his hands on Killua's shoulders and looking at him with that determined fire burning bright in his eyes. "I'm asking you to come with me! You won't have to inherit the family business or do anymore training. You can travel around with me until you find something else you want to do." 

It was a choice. Gon was offering him a choice he had never been given before in his life. The power to choose what he wanted to do.

And of course, there was a lot more to it than simply saying yes; Killua was no fool and he knew as much. But when he looked at Gon...when he met his eyes...he couldn't help but believe that it was possible. If fate really did exist, maybe it was as Gon said after all. Maybe...you were able to choose what to do with it.

Killua felt overwhelmed from the earlier contact but he tried to remain collected, chuckling casually. "That...doesn't sound too bad." 

Gon returned to his previous position beside Killua, seeming satisfied. "We can travel the world together, Killua!" He exclaimed as he reclined back, looking up at the sky with the same wonder as if it were the first time he had ever seen it. 

"Yeah," Killua responded, but his eyes were on Gon, tracing over him. He was just as bright--no, brighter--than the stars laid out before them, Killua decided. He looked away, down at his hands. His face softened and he allowed himself a smile. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was difficult. Hopefully it was okay? OTL  
> They're still both young so for a while I'm just going to focus on the innocence of their relationship; in case you haven't noticed this is going to be a slow build, gomen.  
> But enjoy the fluff while it lasts. B) And thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who left comments or kudos! You keep me motivated to continue this.


	6. Sudden x Darkness

Killua ended up staying far longer than originally planned. 

The delay all began with him sleeping in later than he had in a long while, much to his surprise. He had always had trouble sleeping and he thought certainly the presence of another would only worsen the issue, but to the contrary he found that not only did he fall asleep quickly but he slept very soundly as well. It wasn't that the floor mattress was particularly comfy--at least not more so than his bed at home--or that Gon's room was silent enough to put his sensitive ears at ease. But something about the distant hum of insects, the scent of the blankets that fell around his body, and Gon's soft inhales and exhales...it was very peaceful. Maybe a little too peaceful, since by the time Killua awoke it was closer to noon than it was to sunrise.

After getting off to a late start, they had scoffed down the breakfast Mito-san prepared for them in record timing and proceeded to hurry into town to pick up the console. Their second dilemma came into existence here, wherein the sheer amount of people shopping at the same time they were made the trip a lengthy one. By the time they made it back Killua had taken the time to calculate exactly how many hours he should play before it would be a good time to venture home, but it was all too easy to get absorbed in the game and Gon's company. As the day went on, the timetable he had created for himself was completely discarded. 

And so it was already late evening when Killua and Gon finally made their way to the front door and stopped just outside, gazing up at vibrant shades of pink and orange. The sun was losing its grip on the sky, slowly sinking under the line of the trees and leaving a magnificent painting in its wake. The faint anxiety that threatened to spark inside Killua when he realized how late it was was snuffed out and replaced with flutters of happiness as he turned to see Gon's toothy grin. It made his chest feel as though it was expanding somehow, and it startled him despite it being a warm sensation, one that made his skin tingle. 

Killua was reluctant to leave of course, but he had known this was coming. All things come to an end, and more often than not ends were just beginnings. 

"I'll see you tomorrow, right?" Gon said. It was barely a question, as if he already knew the answer.

Killua snorted but flashed him a grin. "As if I have anywhere else to be." 

"Killua," came a voice from behind them, and Killua turned to see Mito-san in the doorway, an unrecognizable expression occupying her features. Although Killua had decided he liked Mito-san quite a bit, her company had still made him slightly anxious during his stay. It was by no fault of her own, but Killua realized that having never spent time with someone else and their parent, he had no idea what to expect from daily interactions. At his house everything was much different, and hardly something to use as a comparison. But he found that Gon and Mito-san's interactions were fascinating; he liked watching them talk and bicker and go about their routine. He found that he liked spending time with the two of them, even if the uneasiness of not knowing what to expect was still present. 

Mito-san smiled slightly before she said, "Come and stay again soon, okay? You're always welcome here." 

Killua inhaled sharply in surprise, feeling his eyes widen as he looked up at her. It wasn't just a hospitable offer; it was a promise. That he had a home here whenever he needed it.

Killua swallowed, words that he could never find the will to say whirling around in his mind. It only took mere seconds for him to collect himself and he replied with a "yeah" and a small smile.

After a few more words of parting Killua was off, back towards his house where hopefully no one would be waiting. He stuck to a fast pace, breaking out into a light jog for the final stretch as the last little bits of sunlight streamed out of the sky and it was enveloped by darkness. He cleared the gate without incident and managed to slip inside seemingly undetected. But immediately Killua sensed something was wrong. 

It was quiet. Not just any kind of quiet--the kind of silence so thick even the softest of sounds exploded like thunder. Killua felt as though every shaky breath he took had the power of a gust of wind, echoing off the walls and alerting everyone in the vicinity of his presence. His footsteps, which after years of sneaking around had become almost completely silent, seemed to shake the house with their force. He tried to tell himself he was being paranoid; of course there was never any commotion going on when everyone was constantly locked away in their rooms. He wouldn't have expected any less than dead silence and he shouldn't be worried now to get it. 

But still, there was unease polluting the air, entering him with each inhale and sinking into his lungs. He made his way slowly towards his room, the hairs on the back of his neck standing in warning. He froze outside the door, feeling his muscles tense as his hand hovered inches away from the handle, hesitation seizing it in its path. His mind demanded that he calm down, but logic was having no effect on his screaming nerves. Still, ultimately there was no other option. He gently opened the door, holding his breath. 

...Empty. 

There didn't appear to be anything different about his room since the last time he saw it. Nothing out of place or disturbed in any way. Killua let out a sigh of relief, the knots in his stomach loosening as his fear subsided. He removed his bag from his shoulder and tossed it on to his bed.

"Long time, no see, Killu." 

Killua stopped moving, dread seizing his every muscle like ice freezing him into place. He knew that voice; it was impossible to not recognize that cool eerie tone, like thousands of needles piercing his entire body. 

He turned, slowly, his heart hammering mercilessly against his chest. His brother stood in the doorway, expressionless as always, his dark hair and clothes against the dim light of the hallway giving him the unsettling illusion of dissolving into the darkness. 

And Killua felt his heart sink to his toes, his mouth go dry. Because it was then that he knew he had been caught, and that it was over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have the next two chapters already written, so I won't leave you hanging like this for long. Sorry it's so short...things have been meh lately but I'll try to make up for it in the next one. Thank you so much as always to everyone leaving comments and kudos!


	7. The x Sun's x Plea

Gon shifted his position restlessly for what had to have been the tenth time in the last twenty minutes. He was sitting in his usual spot above the trees, watching the sun with fidgety eyes as it slowly sunk below the horizon. 

It wasn't unusual. He had done this many a time before. In fact, any other day it would have been a comforting thing-- _should_ have been a comforting thing. Especially since, despite the generally mild climate of Whale Island, today had been particularly hot and the sun's dismissal brought with it relief to Gon's overheated body. 

But there were thoughts plaguing his mind that permitted him from feeling any kind of relief. The further the sun slipped away the further his face seemed to dissolve into a slight frown, a measurement dancing anxiously around in his head that he couldn't seem to get rid of--because today was not just any other day. Today marked a period of time, and for something that could hardly be considered positive. 

Two weeks. 

As the sun disappeared completely, Gon could accurately say he hadn't seen his best friend in two weeks. 

He had sat in this same spot for every single day of those two weeks, waiting. Waiting for Killua to come sauntering out of the brush, waiting for him to flash Gon a grin. Waiting for _something_. But every day he found himself alone as darkness settled around him, and today was no exception. 

At this juncture even Gon's hope faltered, albeit only a little. He knew Killua was okay--he had to be. Killua was strong, probably the strongest person Gon knew. He was okay. But Gon's instincts told him that something was definitely awry all the same. When considering what he had gathered about just how strict Killua's family was, it was hard for the situation not to feel uneasy. At the very least, Gon seriously doubted Killua was simply held up because he was busy. 

He clenched his fists, pondering his options as he had for the past few weeks. Being helpless was not something he much cared for, and sitting around waiting for Killua had proven itself to be ineffective a long time ago. He had been trying to avoid making any kind of move in thinking that Killua wouldn't want that, but when Gon thought about the possibility that there might be trouble...if he were to do nothing, he would never forgive himself. 

Two weeks. He had done his share of waiting, right? At this point there didn't seem to be any option in his mind other than taking some kind of action. 

In fact, the thought made a grin pull at his lips for what seemed like the first time in a while. The possibility of fixing or at the very least discovering what was going on sent shivers of excitement down his spine. And whatever the consequences, it beat hanging around in the trees alone. 

With one swift movement Gon was on ground level, scanning the brush that surrounded him. Killua always came from the same direction and though he had never explicitly stated where his house was, Gon had a fairly good idea. He had explored the island many times growing up, and there were few places he wasn't aware of. 

He started off through the trees at a light jog but before long he was sprinting, tightening his chest to keep his breathing steady. He stuck mostly to the dirt path, the trees around him blurring together in endless swirls of greens and browns. The more he ran the longer it seemed to stretch on, as if that was the only thing awaiting him for miles. There seemed to be nothing, no signs of any inhabited areas and then... 

Gon broke out into a wide grin at the sight of an elaborately designed gate that shielded a mansion barely visible behind a few more yards of forest. He didn't slow his pace as he approached the property, nor did conceive a plan on how to enter it. All he could think about was that there was no mistaking it; this was most definitely Killua's house and that meant right now he was closer to Killua than he had been in days. His lungs were just starting to burn as he closed the last distance between he and the gate, and at the exact moment his hand touched the wall there was a grating sound as the heavy doors began to open. 

For a moment Gon panicked, wondering if he had pressed something on accident to cause such a movement, but then he noticed the purring of a car engine and he ducked down just as the car emerged slowly. It stopped abruptly just outside the threshold and Gon froze, briefly entertaining the idea that he had been spotted before it continued on its way. He exhaled in relief, turning his attention back to the task at hand. The doors to the gate were closing back up much more quickly than they had opened, and Gon flung himself around the corner and through the small gap just in time. 

He barely had time to stand before he was struck directly in the face with enough force to send him flying back to the ground. 

For a moment his vision was lost; dotted swirls danced around in sickening patterns everywhere he tried to look. He managed to prop himself up on his hands and knees, but it wasn't a few seconds later before he received another blow. This time the hit was to his ribs and he toppled over with a gasp, his vision beginning to return as his face pressed against the dirt. There was a figure approaching him--a small figure; someone who had to have been around his same height and build. They stopped directly in front of him, presumably looking downward although Gon had already closed his eyes tightly as a sharp pain resonated throughout his side.

"Owww," he managed between deep breaths. He clenched his fists together, struggling to sit himself up again. He didn't know what was happening. He didn't understand who this person was, or why he was being attacked. But in the end he didn't care. He was here to see Killua, and he wasn't leaving here without accomplishing as much. No matter the cost. 

"Who are you?" A quiet voice asked. The sound reached his ears but didn't quite process through his brain--his thoughts still fuzzy from pain and shock. He dragged himself upwards until he was kneeling and opened his mouth to speak, but all that he sputtered out was: 

"Th...at hurt!" 

The figure was gone. Gon blinked, confused, before he felt something violently grip his arm twist it into his back, pushing his head down until it was once again resting in the dirt. 

"Who are you?" The voice repeated, as soft as the first time as if this were nothing more than a casual conversation over tea. Pain shot through every nerve in Gon's arm--a feeling as though every muscle was about to tear apart at the slightest movement. He grit his teeth together as he struggled to form coherent thoughts over the agony he was feeling, attempting to survey his situation more closely. 

The grip was firm and precise...this person was strong. Even so, Gon felt confident he actually stood a chance against them if it came down to a fight. They had taken him by surprise, however now that he was at the very least roughly aware of their size it would be much easier to make a counter move. But...

All the same, something warned him to stop. He was being stupid; there was no need to resort to that. This was Killua's house after all and he Killua's friend--not some intruder that needed to be subdued. He was innocent, and if he explained his intentions he was sure the misunderstanding would be resolved. Gon relaxed--as much as he could in his given position--to demonstrate his submittance and opened his mouth to speak a second time. 

"I'm a friend of Killua's." 

His words were firm, direct. Something in the other person tensed up, going completely still in their grip. 

"...friend?" 

"Of Killua's," Gon repeated, "I'm here to see him." 

Silence. 

Seconds dripped by, feeling like hours. Gon swallowed, opening his eyes as he grew accustomed to the pain and was able to think clearly over it. He wondered what this person was thinking--were they doubting his claim? Or was it something else, something that Gon, being an outsider to family affairs, wasn't aware of? 

The silence broke, and a quiet voice replied: 

"...Killua has no friends." 

The words hit Gon with more force than any of the other blows. He felt his body tense involuntarily as he sucked in a shuddering breath, the fingers of his free hand trembling as they dug into the earth.

Because it wasn't just the words. The tone, the way in which they were said--they revealed more. The unspoken part of that sentence, a concept so completely vile even in its silence. 

_And that's the way it should be._

All the fear, the pain, the shock inside Gon blended together, igniting into a raging flame that burned holes in his very core. He wasn't sure why the sentence set him so completely unhinged, wasn't sure why four words caused his heart to pound with such fury against his heaving chest--but something in him snapped. He whirled around, hearing a gasp of surprise from the person behind him. Their grip was released, Gon's kick colliding with a dull sound against the target before he rolled to the side, jumping back a reasonable distance before coming to a complete halt. 

As he stood slowly, he was finally able to get a decent look at his interrogator. They looked young--possibly even younger than Gon himself. Jet black hair fell around their face in a smooth bob, the color clashing with the milky white of their skin. None of that struck any sort of recognition in Gon--until they looked up.

As soon as his eyes locked with Gon's, he understood. They were a different color--a entrancing pink--but similar in intensity and surrounded with the same thick, long lashes that marked Killua's eyes. He was a Zoldyck, there was no doubt about it, and Gon knew that Killua only had one sister and that she wasn't currently living with them. There was only one conclusion: he was one of Killua's brothers. 

He was looking at Gon with surprise clouding his features before he narrowed his eyes, pressing his hand lightly to his cheek where he had been struck with Gon's foot. He stood, carefully, straightening himself before relaxing into a more casual position in comparison to Gon's defensive stance. 

"Killua is my friend," Gon said sternly, keeping his eyes locked onto the other boy's. "I'm not leaving until I see him." 

He blinked once, his expression unchanging as he seemed to consider what Gon was saying very carefully. "Killua can't see you right now," he said finally. "He's in solitary confinement." 

"Confinement?" 

"I don't know when he'll be out," the boy added in a softer tone. He didn't seem to be lying, but somehow that only enraged Gon all the more. They had warped Killua's home into a prison for him, locking him away like some kind of animal. Gon hadn't understood, he realized that now. It took him seeing it in person to finally comprehend just how different Killua's family was. They were on a whole other level--Killiua grew up in a completely different world. It was something Gon would never understand, and he realized that now. But the thought of leaving him here made Gon feel sick, his stomach twisting into horrible knots that made it difficult to stand. He wouldn't--he couldn't--simply just leave it at that.

"You're Killua's brother, right?" Gon started, keeping his tone calm. "But you don't care about what he wants at all, do you?" 

The boy's gaze faltered, just for a second. Gon saw his eyes flicker downward as if something in Gon's words had had an effect on him. When they flickered back up at Gon he asked, "What will you do when you see him?" 

"Take him home with me." 

"What if he doesn't want to go with you?" 

"Then I won't do anything," Gon said without missing a beat. "I'm not here to force Killua to do anything." He paused before adding in a quieter tone, "I just want to see him. I just want to see my friend. That's all."

More silence. Now it was thick, heavy. The boy's gaze remained transfixed on Gon, not blinking nor wavering in the slightest. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking. 

When he did speak, it was only two words: 

"Follow me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this one is okay. ^^; Thank you for the comments and kudos! You guys are awesome. B)


	8. Freed x Moon

"Killu." 

_Killuaaaaa!_

"Killu." 

_Let's be friends._

"Wake up."

 _Let's be...friends...Killua...let's...be..._

"Killu, wake up." 

"Gon..."

Blue eyes flew open, met with nothing but the dim lighting of the small room and a figure standing before him. After the few seconds it took his eyes to adjust he saw that it was not Gon, but Kalluto. 

"Ah, good morning," Killua greeted sarcastically. "Or night maybe. Not like I can tell in here." 

"You're free to go," was all Kalluto said in response, along with a small gesture towards the open door as if to provide a visual for his words. Killua wasn't sure if he had heard him say Gon's name, but if that was the case Kalluto was choosing not to comment on it.

"About time." Killua made moves to stand, immediately becoming aware of just how stiff his body was. It was almost a struggle to get into a standing position, and the few light stretches that he tried sent sharp pains through his skull. 

"How long has it been?" He asked Kalluto, who was making no moves to exit the room and was instead watching Killua with blank eyes. 

"Two weeks as of today." 

The words hit like a punch to the gut. 

All the days had blended together for Killua, falling in and out of consciousness and locked away from any sort of activity or indication of time. Slowly drifting away in a pool of darkness--it had felt like one long nightmare. But now that he was back to reality, things were different. Two weeks was a long time...longer than he would have liked, for sure. 

Thoughts of Gon flooded his mind, but he tried to push them away to the best of his ability. Such thoughts only made his heart feel heavy and his nerves on edge. There were too many things to worry about when it came Gon right now, and he had to focus on getting himself together before he could tackle any of them. 

"Father wants to talk to you," Kalluto said suddenly, disrupting Killua's thoughts. 

Killua turned to look at him in surprise. "He's here?" 

"No, on the phone. He told me to release you." 

"Okay," Killua waved lazily in affirmation as he exited the room and continued down the hallway towards the study. The entire house was for the most part cloaked in the same kind of dim lighting that he had been dwelling in for the past two weeks, but even the subtle change in lightness made his head pound and his eyes squint. He couldn't even remember the last time he had been given food or water now that he thought about it, and his limbs were heavy from too much sleep and lack of movement. 

The phone was lying face up on the desk, waiting for him. Killua picked it up but hesitated before putting it against his ear. 

"Hello?" 

"Killu." His father's voice was the same, deep and steady. Since Killua was a baby he had never really seen all that much of his father, but because he was always traveling the majority of their conversations had been over the phone. Thus this situation had an air of familiarity about it, and that was at the very least mildly comforting. "How are you?" 

"I'm fine." 

"You've probably been better, huh?" 

"Well, yeah," he admitted sheepishly, ruffling his hair. 

"I heard you made a friend." 

Killua should have seen the abrupt topic change coming--straight to the point was how his father liked to conduct business. He swallowed, pondering how to respond. At this point lying would only make the situation worse, and he knew that. 

"Yeah." 

"And he's the reason you've been sneaking out?" 

"...yeah." 

"I see..." He was quiet for a moment, and Killua bit his lip. Nothing in his Silva's tone gave away what he was thinking; like everyone else in his family he had mastered the art of keeping things hidden. And so Killua attempted to prepare himself for whatever would come next, but the question ended up surprising him anyway. "What's he like? Tell me about him." 

After a few moments of silence in which Killua wondered if he had heard him correctly, his father added, "You are my son. You can tell me the truth. I didn't realize until you moved away but we never really had father to son chats like this. So go ahead, tell me about him. I want to listen." 

Killua could barely believe his ears, but the words definitely sounded genuine. And even though he immediately decided to proceed with caution, he found the proposition was somehow exciting. He licked his lips, considering what to say.

How to describe Gon? 

Killua wasn't sure he would ever be able to put someone like him into words. A smile with the radiance of the sun, eyes that held in them all the light in the whole world. His words could transform even the most meager of topics into stories that captivated your full attention. He was words like 'pure' and 'determined' and at the same time he was none of those things, because none of those things quite did him justice. He listened to Killua, _really_ listened. He never judged him as a monster or a problem child, only as a friend. He smiled at him in a way that no one else ever had, and he had invited him to share his home. Being with him made Killua feel things he had never felt before; emotions that he still didn't understand but that made him feel warm all the same. They smiled and laughed until their stomach ached. Killua craved more time with him only minutes after they parted. Gon was...Gon was everything. 

But Killua had never been good with words, least of all when expressing emotion, and thinking about just how much Gon meant to him was difficult to admit to himself, much less to his father. In the end all he could manage to say was, "Gon is...someone I really want to be around. Someone I have fun with." 

His father was silent, beckoning for him to continue. And he began to tell stories--stories of their adventures in the forests, of one of Gon's wild stunts or of times they had both laughed until they cried. He found that once he started talking he couldn't seem to stop himself; he had no one to talk to about Gon but realized he sure had a lot to say about him. 

Silva listened, adding in occasional comments or chuckling now and again. It was nice--strange, for such a civil chat to take place in his house--but nice all the same. It was only after they had been talking for quite a while that he interrupted Killua and his tone was different, more serious. 

"Killu...do you want to see your friend?" 

Killua was yet again quiet, the question taking him by surprise once more. There was still that hesitation even though he had already said so much. "Yes...I...I want to see him more than anything." 

"Okay," his father said, and Killua could picture his stern nod, the sharpness of his gaze. Killua had probably seen his father the least out of all his family members and yet he was always the one who showed up so vividly in Killua's mind. "You're free to come and go as you please; I'll pass the word on to Illumi." 

"...Really?" 

"Yes. The island is small so it's still easy to keep track of your whereabouts, and of course we'll continue to look for proper schooling." 

Killua felt his chest swell and he was suddenly grateful he was alone in the room, for nothing could stop the smile that spread across his face. After a shaky inhale of breath, he managed to keep his voice steady and indifferent as he replied, "Thank you." 

"Oh and Killu," Silva said just as he was about to hang up. "...Enjoy it while it lasts." 

He wasn't sure exactly what he meant. The tone was strange, and his words seemed to hold a lot more meaning that his father was letting on. But right now Killua was so wrapped up in wanting to see Gon that he let it go, replying with "mm!" before hanging up the phone. 

He rushed out of the room and almost ran smack into Kalluto, who was leaning against the opposite wall. 

"Your friend is outside," he said softly, his expression unreadable.

Outside? Gon was here?

Killua's mouth couldn't keep up with his legs, and before he could even manage a response he was sprinting down the hallway. He made it to his room in record timing, throwing open his door and heading straight for his dresser. His backpack still sat on the bed where he had left it two weeks prior, already packed and ready to go. He decided he would take what he had for now and come back later if he needed more. All he wanted right now was to get out of this house...all he wanted was to see Gon. Everything else seemed to pale in comparison. 

He changed clothes quickly and slung his backpack over his shoulder, closing the door behind him. His grin widened with every step he took towards the front door, the cool night air slamming into him as he flung it open. And then he saw him.

Gon. 

Standing by the door, covered in dirt and sporting a black eye. Their eyes met, Gon's locking into his own, and they shared a look of understanding--of relief. But it only lasted a moment before Gon was rushing towards him, throwing his arms around Killua and pulling him close. 

"Killuaaa!" he exclaimed, and Killua had gasped and tensed at the sudden contact but at hearing Gon's voice he relaxed slightly, reciprocating the hug. He had almost forgotten the warmth of Gon's body--the lean but thin build that pressed up against him--and he allowed himself a brief moment of indulgence, closing his eyes and breathing in. He felt Gon's lips against his neck, forming into a smile, and it made heat rush to Killua's cheeks as his insides fluttered. 

"What happened to you?" Killua asked when they pulled away. "You look awful." 

Gon laughed. "You're one to talk!" 

Killua stuck his tongue out before the two of them erupted into more laughter. It felt so good to smile again; Killua's face ached in the best way possible. 

"Let's go home and I'll tell you about it," Gon said with a wink, and Killua rolled his eyes before nodding in agreement. They had just taken a few steps towards the gate when he felt something warm touch his hand, and a moment later Gon's fingers slipped between his own. 

"What are you doing?" Killua asked, keeping his voice even and suspicious despite his heart growing restless in his chest. 

"I want to hold your hand is all," Gon said without hesitation, as if that was the most natural thing in the world to say. Which...perhaps it was. Killua didn't know for sure, but either way, the softness of Gon's hand was simply too good to pass up. "I missed you a whole lot, you know." 

Not even two minutes together and this kid was already driving him crazy! Killua wanted to smack him in the back of the head but something about the smile he had on his face seemed too genuine; he faltered, sticking his other hand in his pocket and keeping his eyes downcast. 

"I was only gone for a short while, dingus," he huffed. 

But secretly, he was glad, as he always was. He was...happy. He was always happy when he was with Gon, he realized.

The darkest part of the past two weeks had been the weighted feeling of absolute dread--the thought that now it was over and he wouldn't be able to do things like this anymore. The notion was crippling; much worse than any kind of physical pain Milluki could give him. And being here with Gon like this now, hand in hand, it gave him that feeling again. That warmth inside. He felt like the luckiest boy in the world and for a moment, just a moment, he had the urge to share that.

"Hey, Gon?" 

"Yeah?" 

"I...missed you, too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm writing this really late at night so sorry for any mistakes. OTL I guess you could consider this chapter the ending of the 'first story arc' for this fic? Thank you for all the nice comments and kudos! You are giving me motivation to finish this, bless.


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